THE BIG TIDY-UP

Age Range: 3 - 6

A little girl’s messy bedroom forms the basis of this amusing tale, originally published as a Golden Book in 1970. This new edition uses a larger format that shows off the cluttered state of little Jennifer’s room in grand style, with clothes on the floor, cherry pie under the pillow and her cat curled up in an open dresser drawer. The bouncy, rhyming text details Jennifer’s messy habits, filling the story with humor. After Jen’s mom posts a “Keep Out” sign on the door, Jennifer spends two or three days wallowing in her mess before deciding to clean up her act. Gray’s illustrations of Jennifer’s pink room are packed with the little girl’s favorite toys and brightly patterned clothes, and the child herself, pictured with a bristly thatch of black hair, has a spunky charm. Though the story is an older one, that messy-room problem is still very much a current event. (Picture book. 3-6)